Changes in Salivary Enzymes in Patients with Sarcoidosis

Abstract

Assessment of salivary-gland function in 40 patients with sarcoidosis showed that whereas only one had clinical evidence of involvement of the salivary glands, both secretion volume (19 patients) and enzyme content of amylase (below 50 per cent of normal in 27 patients) and of kallikrein (below 50 per cent of normal in 18 patients) were clearly reduced in many patients. Although the fall in kallikrein activity in general paralleled that of amylase, the reduction in both enzyme activities did not correlate with volume change. Since the fall in enzyme activity was not associated with any clinically apparent involvement of the salivary glands, these findings raise the possibility of more frequent and widespread impairment of function in these and other glandular structures than has hitherto been realized.